Khaphtelan
Born in the cradle of humanity itself, the Khaphtelan people attest that they are the oldest civilzation on Lyranthium. Appearance Khaphtelans are tall and lean, with golden-brown skin, dark eyes, and thick dark hair. They tend to wear light, loose-fitting clothing that may be embroidered or adorned with beads or gemstones to display one's wealth. Jewelry is generally only worn by merchants or nobles, with such accessories considered gaudy affectations amongst other classes. History While the M'Tabwe may rightfully claim to be the oldest of the modern human races still alive today, the Khaphtelans frequently reply that they were the first builders of the great human cities, and the first to master the use of magic, taught them by the elves. The oldest of their cities was Deitopia, the building of which was, they say, directed by the gods they worshipped. With their new abilities, the Khaphtelans became a people of great power, summoning up great spirits to defend their lands from all attackers, using magic funneled up through a great crystal set at the center of Deitopia. However, they abuse this magic, conquering more and more of Khaphtela under their manner and using more and more magic to secure their hold until one day the crystal cracked, and the magic that came through it became flawed and weak. The Khaphtelan mages hastily tried to repair it, but met with disaster: the crystal sundered, releasing a funnel of raw magic consumed many of the Deitopians and twisted many others. Those that escaped barely came away with their lives, and saw that their pride had rendered a large portion of their beautiful, fertile nation into a barren desert. Some of the Khaphtelans elected to remain behind in the desert as penance for their pride, and became known as the Kobarri. The rest made their homes elsewhere, turning their studies to divine magic but never quite eschewing the arcane arts. Believing that the gods would not abandon their faithful entirely, the Khaphtelans became pious followers of the Book of Angels, where they believe the solution to repair their homelands may be found. Lands The Khaphtelans can be found throughout Khaphtela and occasionally in the southern regions of Anvestris and Tamekiriku. Languages Culture The Khaphtelans are a proud race, believing that the gods chose them to seed civilization. As such, they hold their customs to be sacred, such as the keeping of slaves by the wealthy, the circumstances under which water may be shared, and even the way a head-covering is wound in order to indicate one’s family line. Everything is treated as a ceremony, from washing to making coffee, and they believe that doing so will help strengthen their link with their ancestors. The Khaphtelans are a religious people, taking their ways from the Book of Angels, said to have been transcribed by a prophet from the instructions of celestials that spoke to him in a dream. They are wary of arcane spellcasters, due in part to the events that led to the creation of the Magestorm Desert, but revere divine spellcasters, believing that they have been blessed directly by the gods. Khaphtelans believe that humans are ranked according to divine worth, with royalty and nobles at the top and slaves at the bottom. This ranking system places women slightly below men, and children below adults. Category:Lyranthium Category:Lyranthium/Pages Needing Artwork Category:Races Category:Khaphtela/Races Category:Humanoid Races Category:Humans